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With the prospects of Narendra Modi becoming the next Prime Minister gaining currency if the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) gets majority, the Akhilesh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh would have to realign strategies and forge a workable relationship with the Centre.
The Akhilesh regime had a rather happy sailing under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in the last two years, wherein the state got liberal doses of funds and other support.
Under UPA, the state Annual Plan allocation by Planning Commission during 2013-14 rose by 20% to Rs 69,200 crore. During 2012-13 also, the Annual Plan of Rs 57,800 crore had included a grant of Rs 800 crore for Allahabad Kumbh Mela. Additionally, Rs 20,000 crore was allocated for centrally sponsored schemes, which summed up total approval at Rs 77,800 crore for 2012-13.
Now under changed political equations and under the shadow of poll rhetoric over the months, it would now be incumbent on the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) regime to reach out to the new dispensation.
However, experts say that even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led NDA government would prefer to work in tandem with UP and score positives in run up to the 2017 assembly polls.
This seems plausible given that pollsters have predicted BJP to corner maximum seats in UP, which accounts for the maximum number of parliamentarians at 80.
Modi had already talked about adopting a cooperative attitude in governance and also given indications of retaining the Varanasi seat over Vadodara, the two constituencies he contested the just concluded Lok Sabha polls from.
"Any confrontationist attitude would be detrimental for the development of the state. The states are expected to put up their case strongly before the Centre for deriving maximum benefits," former Lucknow University (LU) economics department head Yashvir Tyagi told Business Standard.
UP needs environment clearances for infrastructure projects, coal linkages to proposed thermal plants, cooperation in proposed Lucknow Metro rail project, railway linkages etc.
Meanwhile, UP cabinet minister Rajendra Chaudhary played down any possible adverse effect on UP's development plans if NDA coasts to power.
"Even under UPA, UP never got its rightful share and the state government had to marshal its own resources for governance," he alleged.
"The writing on the wall is there is no substitute for good governance. With the chances of BJP winning large mandate from UP seeming bright, there would be greater priority for UP and greater sense of urgency by the Centre," retired UP cadre bureaucrat G B Pattanaik opined.
